Muff Pot Meals

Trail mix, jerky snacks and granola bars can only go so far. What do we really crave on a brisk winter ride? A warm meal or snack that will rejuvenate our body and spirits for the rest of the ride. Enter, the muff pot or hot dogger. Like mastering your slow cooker, it can take some finesse to achieve the results you’re looking for. With a few easy tips and ideas, your lunch will be the envy of your group. 

Technique

Heat: Think of your hot doggers and muff pots as food “warmers” rather than food “cookers.” In reality, muff pot recipes are really just simple one pot meals that have been pre-cooked. Different devices conform to the engine spaces of different sleds, so do your research before you invest. A rule of thumb is, the closer the snowmobile muff pot is to the engine, the hotter it will run. In addition, it’s important to account for the type of riding you will do and the snow conditions. Hours of trail riding can sometimes equate to mere minutes of side hilling deep powder. The more you play, the faster you’ll heat up what's in your muff pot. Then again, if you get stuck for half an hour, your cooking time will have to start from scratch. Check your food often and turn over if necessary. Keep your DSG Outerwear gloves or mittens on while removing your oven from the engine. 

Wrap it up: Protect your food from metal marks and your engine from food leakage by carefully wrapping up your lunch. Aluminum foil is an easy solution, but can lead to black burn marks on your food. Wax paper is a no-no, unless you don’t mind seasoning your food with wax. The best solution is oven bags, slow cooker bags, parchment paper or Snacker Packers—specifically designed for packaging meals to cook in your snowmobile muff pot. It’s also recommended that you wrap the entire package or line the inside of your cooking device with foil, for double-duty protection.

Meal Motivation

Leftovers are an easy, quick solution for your snowmobile muff pot. But now’s the time to get creative! You don’t have to be an Iron Chef to be a muff pot master. The quality of your eating experience is only limited by your imagination.

Classics: Any pre-cooked item from the freezer section can be reheated in your hot dogger. Favorites include meatballs, chicken wings, frozen dinners, hot pockets, burritos, egg rolls, tamales, tater tots, pizza pockets and corn dogs. Ready-to-eat meats can be easily spruced up with sauces and spices, like cocktail wieners, hot dogs, brats and pulled pork. Add some onions, sliced peppers or chili to your brats, and it goes from eh to gourmet.

Crafty: Forgo the frozen version of meatloaf, chicken strips or fish (tip: add a tablespoon of water to fish to keep it from drying out) and make your muff pot recipes ahead of time. Everything tastes better homemade. Package your frozen shrimp with garlic and butter for easy shrimp scampi. Combine meats with potatoes or cooked rice and vegetables for a satisfying stir-fry (but don’t forget your sauce!). Toasted sandwiches or paninis are always a win. Gooey, cheesy, saucy items like lasagna, stew or chili are delicious, but only for the risk-takers—unintended leakage can result in some messy clean-up. For a dish to share, layer bean dip, cheese and nacho toppings in an oven bag, place your chips in your backpack or tunnel bag and share some nachos with whoever helped you get unstuck. 

Sweets: Baked goods are easily transportable, and taste better served warm. Think cinnamon buns, frozen mini pies, Pop Tarts or apple crisp to satisfy your sweet tooth. Wrap apples in tin foil with butter and cinnamon sugar for a treat that’s semi-sweet and semi-healthy.

If you intend to be generous enough to share, pack some toothpicks for the group. Get the whole group involved by packing different meals in multiple snowmobile muff pots and make it a backcountry potluck. The tunnel of your sled can simultaneously serve as the perfect buffet table in snowy conditions. 

For more fun recipe ideas, check out our Wild Eatz Recipe Book which includes 30 delicious wild game recipes.